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Felony charges against suspected drug dealer dropped

By Sara Kandel

Posted December 20, 2012

ROSEVILLE — Police in Roseville have dropped a felony charge against a Detroit teen suspected of dealing drugs in the city.

Police originally charged 19-year-old Kyle Rutland with one felony and multiple misdemeanors after a supposed drug-deal gone wrong Dec. 11 led to a high-speed car chase around the city, during which he struck three parked cars. However, after reviewing the case and people involved in the incident further, police said that they were forced to drop the charges against Rutland to two misdemeanors.

Rutland was arraigned on two 93-day misdemeanor charges — possession of marijuana and reckless driving — in 39th District Court Dec. 13. Bond was set at $2,000.

“After an investigation and a lack of cooperation by the other subject involved in this incident, it was determined that this incident would be best resolved at the local-court level,” said Deputy Chief Don Glandon of the Roseville Police Department.

In the Dec. 11 incident, police believe the other suspect involved was attempting to purchase drugs from Rutland.

“They had met for one to purchase drugs from the other,” Glandon said after the initial incident. “When the suspect drug buyer displayed his cash, (Rutland) punched him and took off.”

After taking $200 from the suspected buyer, police said, Rutland fled the area in his vehicle, and the other man involved in the incident followed.

Speeding through the surrounding neighborhoods, being chased by the suspected buyer, (Rutland) struck three other vehicles: the first at Martin and Gratiot, the second at Pinehurst and 12 Mile Road, and the last at Gratiot and 11 Mile Road.

Police, who were called to the scene of the third accident, arrived to find Rutland and the other man involved in the incident arguing.

“Everyone was yelling and screaming, but eventually officers were able to sort out what happened,” Glandon reported at the time of the incident, just after 6 p.m. Dec. 11.

“As a result of the investigation, both the suspected seller and the suspected dealer were arrested,” he said.

The suspected buyer was eventually released from custody with a ticket for reckless driving and, at press time, has not yet had to appear in court to face the charge.

Police had initially planned to charge Rutland with one felony count and multiple misdemeanor counts, but could not release the nature of those charges prior to his arraignment. However, they did say that the felony charge was not related to drugs.

Even with the charges they initially thought they’d be able to lay on Rutland, Glandon expressed unhappiness that the two men, whom police suspected of grossly disregarding residents’ safety, were going to get off so easily.

“They were both there to commit an illegal act, and if we could have charged the (suspected buyer) with something more, I would have been more than happy to do it,” Glandon said at the time of the incident. “Both subjects demonstrated a blatant disregard for the safety of the public. They both put people in danger, and I would have loved to be able to charge them both with something more.”